Capricorns

"The modern depiction of the sign of Capricorn is derived from that of the Sumerian god of water Enki, as a half-goat, half-fish creature."

Nailed it.

NYC

I'm in New York right now. My last time here was back in 2006, while working on my first novel, Dormir amb Winona Ryder. I take as a good omen that I found this right next to my hotel.

I love this city.

Kiribati connection

A few months ago, while planning on how to distribute my copies of The Supernatural Enhancements, I recorded my intention to send one book to the National Library of Kiribati—which, in case you don't know, is a remote island nation on  the South Pacific. (→)

For a number of reasons, this mission has been intolerably postponed, until this morning, on a beautiful summer day in mid-October, I woke up with the firm purpose of fulfilling that promise.

 This is the book. (Hi.)

Sorry, I doodled all over it.

This is a letter to the unsuspecting librarians in Kiribati.

 This is the envelope we sent it in.

And this is the whole package standing on a rooftop shouting, baby I'm ready to go.

After a trip to the post office and a brief lesson for the clerk on the history of Kiribati, the package was posted. Here is the receipt.

Which is a good moment to answer the question, "why are you doing this?" Simply put, because I've been fascinated by the Pacific for years, and I want a piece of me to be there. And now it's on its way. Yippee!

(If I piqued anyone's curiosity with all this, allow me to recommend J. Maarten Troost's The Sex Lives of Cannibals: one of the very few books on modern-day Kiribati available, and among my favorite non-fiction books of all time.)

*

More news on TSE: it's selling very well, thank you! Also, it will be released in French, Italian and Spanish in the first half of 2015. The Spanish translation has been undertaken by yours truly, together with my friend and long-time collaborator Xavi Morató. A big thank you to all the readers who gave it a chance, and let me remind all those who were left perplexed by it that I remain at your disposition via Goodreads for somewhat less vague explanations. Cheers.
 

The Supernatural Week

It's arrived. As of today, my English debut novel The Supernatural Enhancements is on sale in US and Canada, published by Doubleday. And the UK edition will be available next Thursday 14, by Del Rey.

Also, US denizens, remember there are copies with signed and doodled bookplates available only through The Mysterious Bookshop in New York.

And that's it. It's been 27 months since I wrote it, 20 since it got an agent, 18 since she sold it, and about four since we finished editing, proofreading and tweaking. Thanks to all who shared my impatience, and let me take avail of this opportunity to thank heartfully some beautiful early reviewers who livened up these last weeks for me. 

It is a great honor to finally meet my first English-speaking audience. Thanks for your trust, I wish you enjoy it, and I hope to join you soon.



Meanwhile, in the author's house...

Never install a ball pit in the way between your bedroom and the toilet. You will regret it in the morning.


EN ROMANCE: Nada, que la edición norteamericana de mi nueva novela sale hoy. Y la británica, este jueves. ¿Y en castellano? ¡Estamos trabajando en ello!

Rik Fucking Mayall

Lots of big things have happened around here during the last week, but not nearly enough to eclipse this tragedy. Rik Mayall died.

To say this guy was a big influence is just a way to understate how much of his formula I stole to concoct my own. He was a screenwriter (among other things), whereas my screenwriting efforts are weak, but his writing style is more patent in my novels and stories than that of many literary authors I admire. And that's thanks to comedians like Mayall, who taught me that jokes are worth including in every kind of work. Rik and his adorable colleague Adrian Edmondson showed me a whole form of humor. Their rhythm and physicality are academic models to me. I can recite some of Richie and Eddie's dialogues by heart. I hold the central minutes of the "Nasty" episode of The Young Ones as one of the biggest achievements in comedy EVER. "Yes, we've got a vi-de-o!!"

And above all, I cherish the memory of an interview with a 26-year-old Mayall who said there would be no more Young Ones (after only twelve episodes of one of the milestones of British comedy, mind you) because that was done already, "and we want to move on and do something else". Slow clap for you, Rik. You taught me a form of comedy, a code on how much further to go, and an attitude. Thank you.